Automatic brake connection for semitrailer vehicles



Sept.: 7g 1937. w. s. GURTON Er AL 2,092,115

'AUTOMATIC'BRAKE CONNECTION FOR SEMITRAILER VEHICLES Filed April l0, 1936 Patented Sept. 7, i931? attain Ta'i PAT? @FFHQE AUTOMA'C BRAKE CNNECTION FOR SEMITRAILER VEHICLES Application April 10, 1936, Serial No. 73,698

12 Claims. (Cl. EEO-33.1)

The principal objects of this invention are to The block l carries an upper king pin element provide a coupling device between the tractor 5 which extends into a bearing bracket 5 which and trailer units which will greatly simplify the carries a bushing 5 snugly embracing the king coupling operation, automatically connecting both pin element 5 in thrust and turning bearing con- 5: brake and electrical connections concurrently tact. The king pin element 5' may be secured in with the mechanical coupling of the tractor and any suitable manner against axial displacement trailer. in the bearing 5', and is here shown retained A further and important object is to eliminate by a nut ll' threaded on the upper end of the any loose play or back lash between the tractor king pin element 5 and clamping a washer 4 in and trailer and to maintain a constant and depla-ce over the end of the bearing. Thus, while pendable coupling between the tractor and trailer the block 'l with its king pin elements is held brake mechanism. captive on the trailer unit, so that the trailer is 'Ihe principal feature of the invention consists capable of turning relative thereto about the king in the novel arrangement of a spring-loaded pin axis to provide turning articulation between snubbing bar on the tractor adapted to be moved the coupled tractor and trailer units as will be into alignment with and engage a block carried hereinafter apparent. by the trailer which is provided with ducts con- The block I is here shown provided with a necting with the brake mechanism of the trailer vertical face 8 spaced from and facing forwardly to be aligned and connected with corresponding toward the king pin. This block has formed ducts carried by the louier bar. therein a pair of ducts 9 which extend inwardly A further and important feature consists in from the face and are curved upwardly and forthe novel manner of aligning the buffer bar with wardly to the ducts I which lead upwardly the contact block of the trailer by the coi-operathrough the king pin element close to the axis tion of a tilting member which is engaged by the thereof. king pin in its movement into position in the Tubes II are connected with the upper end coupling operation. of the upwardly extending ducts I and extend In the `accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a rearwardly of the trailer and are connected tothe diagrammatic side elevational view showing a brake cylinders I2 for operating the brakes on tractor and trailer in the act of being coupled. the Wheels I3.

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional detail show- A pair of jaw-shaped brackets I4 are secured ing the coupling members spaced apart. to the under side of the guide plate 2 equi-distant Figure 2a is an enlarged cross sectional View of either side of the longitudinal centre thereof and the sealed joint between the buffer bar and king in each of these brackets is pivotally mounted a pin block. block I5 which is bored longitudinally and forms Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view showing a pivotal sliding guide for a rod I6. One end of the coupling members connected. each of the rods I6 is secured in a bar I'I which Figure 4 is an enlarged plan View of the tracextends transversely between said rods and forms tor and trailer coupling members separated as in a snubbing bar. Coil compression springs I8 en- Figure 2. v circle the rods IB, abutting the bar Il at one end In the construction here shown, the tractor and the block l5 at the opposite end. Nuts I9 are is provided with a pair of aligned transverse pivthreaded on to the ends of the rods extending ots I which are spaced apart either side oi the through the blocks I5 to limit the rearward dislongitudinal centre line of the tractor and supplacement of the rods and snubbing bar. port the tilting guide plate 2 from the triangular The bar I'I is formed with a pair of ducts 2U 45 brackets 3, said plate having a centre guide slot which coincide with the ducts 9 in the vertical 4 which is adapted to guide the king pin projecface of the block 8 and are connected by flextion 5 mounted on the trailer 5 in a manner hereible tubes 2l with a suitable form of brake inafter defined. control device 22 carried by the tractor. The

' The king pin 5 has integrally connected therehorizontal open ends of the ducts 2l] in the bar with a block 'l and as shown particularly in Fig- I'l are countersunk and in each countersunk reure 2 the block is provided with a turning flange 'l' preferably formed integral therewith, on which the turning plate 'I" of the trailer rests in turning supporting con'tact when the tractor and 5 trailer are in their coupled relation.

cess is secured the cylindrical rubber connection sleeve block 23, which blocks, when the bar I1 is brought into Contact with the block '1, form compression-sealed couplings with the ducts 9. A dowel pilot pin 24 is rigidly secured upon this bar Il between the ducts 2t and its tapered end is adapted to enter the socket formed in the face of the block l between the ducts 9 to ensure proper registration of the block openings with the ducts 9.

A pair of bracket members 2S are mounted beneath the plate 2 of the tractor slightly 'to the rear of the pivots I and spaced equally either side of the longitudinal centre line of the truck in lo transverse alignment with the guide slot 4 of the Dlate 2.

Between these brackets is pivotally mounted a rocker cam 23, the rear end of which is engaged by the buier bar Il when the trailer is withdrawn' i5 from the tractor and the buier bar is dropped. This tilts the forward end -29 oi the rocker cam upwardly, so that it projects above the bar IlV and is adapted to be engaged by the king pin projection 5 as it moves over the lowered buffer bar into the slot 4 of the guide plate 2 when the trailer and tractor are being coupled.

The king pin projection 5 engaging the arm 29 of the cam presses it downwardly, thereby swinging the rear end thereof upwardly to lift the bar L7 Il back of the king pin projection 5 and in front of the block l, so that the dowel pin 2li wili enter the socket 25, bringing the rubber blocks 23 into contact with the vertical face 8 of the block l and forming a sealed connection between the 'il ducts in the bar Il and the ducts in the block l'.

The continued movement of the tractor toward the trailer presses the barV il against the block i so as to compress the springs i8 to a considerable extent before the king pin projection 5 is engaged --1 by the locking device, which is not herein shown and is common to all tractor semi-trailer units.

The compression of the springs i8 takesfup any slack inthe connecting members of the coupling device, so that rattle and noise will be obviated fr@ and a constant pressure will be exerted by the compressed springs upon the resilient sealing members connecting the brake-actuating mechanism on the tractor with the brake-operating devices on the trailer.

.15 As the parts are brought into coupled relation, it will be seen that the under side of the block flange l rides into position over the guide plate V2 and cornes to rest on the latter and entry of the block l into the slot i serves to prevent relative rotation of the guide plate 2 and block ange l", so that the brake connections established between the block 'l and bar il will not be disturbed by relative turning of the tractor and trailer, this turning, as above pointed out, taking place between the upper king pin element 5 and the trailer-mounted bearing co-operating therewith.

It will be understood that the coupling operation is extremely simple and likewise the uncoupling is equally as simple. 'Ihe ordinary means for locking the king pin is withdrawn and the tractor is drawn away from the trailer. In the withdrawing movement the bar il stays in contact with the block l until the compression of the springs i8 has been released. Then as the dowel 2d is withdrawn from the socket 25, the bar-drops and allows the king pin to pass thereover. The dropping of the bar Il causes it to rest upon the rearward end of the cam member 2S, thus throwing the forward arm 29 thereof upwardly to be engaged by the king pin when the vehicles are brought together again.

The device is extremely simple and rugged but is very effective in use.

It will be readily understood that any desirable form of electrical contact device may be arranged on the engaging block 'i and bar Il to connect electric circuits of lightsY or other devices arranged on the trailer.

What we claim as our invention is:-

1. In an automatic brake connection for tractor-trailer units in which the trailer is provided with brake mechanism, and a king pin'member havingl a conduit connection with said brake mechanism, means resiliently and tiltably supported on the tractor having a conduit connection adapted by tilting said means on its support to co-operate with the aforesaid conduit connection to maintain a sealed operative connection to the trailer brakes, and a member independently mounted on the tractor and co-operatively interposed between the king pin and tiltably supported means to effect the said tilting thereof on the relative coupling movement of the tractor and trailer. Y

2. The combination with a tractor having a king pin guide and a trailer having a king pin member and a brake mechanism, Vof controlling conduits leading from the brake mechanism to a surface Vfixed in adjacent relation to the king pin member, a member swngable upwardly and downwardly on the tractor to move toward and from said fixed surface, spring means for maintaining a tension on said swngable member to hold it in spring-engaging contact with said fixed surface, brake controlling conduits carried by said swngable member, and means operable by the relative movement of the tractor and trailer for swinging said swngable member.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2 in which the last-mentioned means comprises a pivotal member adapted to engage the king pin to lift the swngable member into co-operative engaging relation with the fixed contact surface.r

4. A device as claimed in claim 2 in which the last-mentioned means comprises a member pivoted on the tractor formed with an arm to be engaged by the king pin and an arm to engage and lift the swngable member, said swngable member being in the form of across bar with conduits therein, and arms secured at each Yend of saidY cross bar and swingably and slidably supported, 5. An automatic control connectionV for semitrailer vehicles comprising the combination with a slotted king pin guide plate. mounted on the tractor, of a buii'er bar extending across said slot and having a sliding support at each end, compression springs on said sliding supports, control connections mounted on said bar, a king pin member adapted to enter said guide, a block adjacent said king pin on said trailer adapted to engage said buier bar, and control connections on said block adapted to co-operate with the connections on said bar. Y

6. In a, coupling means for tractors and trailers, `separable mating members carried by the respective units, one comprising a slotted plate mounted on one of said units and the other comprising a member having a vertical turning pivot connection with the other unit and having means rigid therewith and projecting therefrom to enter the slot in the other member and interlock therewith in non-rotative contact, said rigid projecting means having control connections, control connections displaceably carried by the rstmentioned unit (2o-operative with the aforesaid control connections and means for automatically moving said second mentioned control connections into co-operative relation with the rst- Cal mentioned control connections on the entry of said projecting means into the slot of said plate.

7. Means as claimed in claim 6 in which said last mentioned means includes a member permanently carried by and movable relative to the said slotted plate into and out of the path of movement of said projecting means in the said slot and having the second mentioned connections carried thereby.

8. Means as claimed in claim 6 in which said last mentioned means includes a displacement member for the. second mentioned connections displaceably carried by said slotted plate and having an operative extension disposed adjacent said slot to be engaged and operated by movement of the said projecting means longitudinally of the slot in said plate.

9. In a coupling means for tractors and trailers having a slotted bearing plate carried by the tractor, a bearing plate rotatable on the trailer and separably resting on the tractor plate in nonrotative bearing contact, control connection means extending downwardly from the trailer plate to enter the slot in the tractor plate and having fluid connection passages opening forwardly below the slotted plate, and control connection means displaceably mounted on the underside of said slotted plate and having connection passages opening rearwardly, and means for automatically moving said last mentioned control connection means into co-operative relation with the rst mentioned control connection means with the forwardly facing passages in sealing relation to the rearwardly facing passages.

10. In a coupling means for tractors and trailers in which the tractor carries a king pin guide and the trailer carries a king pin member to enter said guide and a brake mechanism, controlling conduits leading from the brake mechanism to a contact surface disposed rearwardly of and in substantial horizontal alignment with the king pin member, a member pivctally mounted on the tractor adapted to be swung in one direction away from the guide slot to permit unobstructed entry of the king pin member into position in said guide slot in the coupling operation and to be thereafter swung in the opposite direction to a position behind the entered king pin member to engage the aforesaid contact surface and having conduits to register with the aforesaid conduits, spring means carried by said pivotally mounted member for holding said flexibly mounted member in engagement with said contact surface to maintain connection between said conduits, and

means for swinging said pivotally mounted member in the said opposite direction of the entry of the king pin a predetermined distance into said guide slot in the coupling operation of the tractor and trailer.

11. In a coupling means for tractors and trailers in which the tractor carries a slotted king pin guide and the trailer carries a king pin to enter the slot in said guide and a brake mechanism, controlling conduits leading from the brake mechanism and opening rearwardly through a fixed surface spaced from and substantially parallel with the axis of the king pin, a member mounted on the tractor adjacent the king pin guide for fore and aft sliding displacement in engagement with said fixed surface, said member being also mounted for pivotal displacement about a horizontal axis disposed transversely of the king pin slot for swinging movement on said axis away from said slot out of horizontal alignment with said fixed surface to clear the king pin on entry of same into the slot and to permit the said member to be swung upwardly toward the slot behind the king pin into co-operative horizontal alignment with saidV xed surface, compression springs mounted on said slidable member and extending longitudinally of said slot at opposite sides thereof and displaceable in unison with the swinging movements thereof and adapted to hold said upwardly swung member in resilient pressure engagement with said fixed surface adjacent the king pin, and conduits leading from a brake control mechanism to said slidable and pivotal member and opening forwardly to register with the conduits leading to said fixed surface.

12. In an automatic brake connection for intercoupled tractors and trailers, a spring cushioned buifer bar mounted on the tractor for displacement in diiferent intersecting paths and having brake controlling connections thereon, and means carried by the trailer adapted to engage said buffer bar and having brake controlling connections to register and co-operate with the connections on said buffer bar only after said bar has been displaced to a predetermined point in one of said intersecting paths, said buffer bar being displaceable in the one path in one direction to first permit coupling of the tractor and trailer and thereafter in the reverse direction to bring said respective connections into register, being displaceable in the other intersecting plane at the completion of the said reverse movement in the said other path to tension the spring cushion and provide a resilient pressure contact between said respective connections, and means for displacing said buffer bar in the first-mentioned path only in said reverse connection-registering direction prior to its displacement in said other path including a motion-transmitting member carried by the tractor and operable on the relative coupling movement of the tractor and trailer to displace said buffer bar.

WILLIAM S. GURTON. JOSEPH PLINT. HERMAN NYBERG. 

